The Crazy, Mixed-Up Minds Of World Leaders

Perhaps you've noticed that people are weird. And no people are weirder than those in positions of power. They believe the craziest things about themselves.

For instance, the most violent world leaders, when in public, always speak about their desire for peace. But it's not just in public -- that's truly how they see themselves. When it's possible to examine internal government deliberations, you find the biggest psychopaths describing their efforts to bring about peace on earth. I don't know for sure, but I'd bet a lot of money that the German WW II government archives are full of Hitler speaking to other Nazi officials about his deep yearning for peace.

More recently, here's testimony in the CIA's final WMD report from one of Saddam's top aides:

“He [Saddam] would say if only Iraq possessed the nuclear weapon then no one would commit acts of aggression on it or any other Arab country, and the Palestinian issue would be solved peacefully because of Iraq.

Uh... you bet, Saddam!

Now, here's someone else who wants peace for Israel/Palestine so, so much:

"I want you to know that I am going to invest a lot of time and a lot of creative thinking so that there will finally be peace between Israel and the Palestinians," Mr Bush said in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Aharonoth.

"I am convinced that, during [my second] term, I will manage to bring peace."

I guarantee Bush says the same things in private. Yet somehow, lots and lots of people are going to end up dead.

In fact, if I had to say whose evaluation of the Israel/Palestine situation is closer to reality, I'd go with Saddam. (Not close, of course -- just closer.)